China's state-run media comes clean over Beijing smog

Beijing's residents are used to living with some of the worst smog in the world. But the latest spell of pollution has given rise to something unprecedented: a stream of accurate information and commentary about the problem in the state-run media.

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Until this year the authorities in Beijing have underplayed the city's spells of noxious air pollutionPhoto: Ng Han Guan/AP

Government officials were told not to drive their vehicles unnecessarily while Hyundai, the car company, suspended production at its Beijing plant to help ease the smog. Construction sites were also shut down to try to limit the amount of dust in the air.

Meanwhile, several state-run newspapers and websites devoted sections to the pollution, giving real-time data on the problem and debating how China should solve the issue.

"Recent atmospheric pollution has really sounded a warning to us: if we continue this way of development instead of adjusting it, the long-term damage will be serious," said the Global Times in an editorial.

"In future, the government should publish truthful environmental data to the public. Let society participate in the process of solving the problem," it added.

Chinese media were also free to report the health problems being caused by the pollution. "People with heart and lung diseases will suffer significantly," warned the People's Daily.

"The number of people coming into our emergency room suffering heart attacks has roughly doubled since Friday when the air pollution became really severe," said Ding Rongjing, deputy head of cardiology at Peking University People's Hospital to Bloomberg on Sunday.

Beijing's Environmental bureau said the smog had been caused by an increase in coal burning during an exceptionally cold winter and by Beijing's geographical situation: the city lies in a bowl and can fill up with pollution if there is no wind to clear it.

A study by Greenpeace and Peking university found coal burning accounts for nearly a fifth of the city's pollution, while vehicle emissions contribute six per cent. The current smog is expected to continue until Wednesday.